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The model railway in the case: Amazing in track size Z
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What was the Z track?
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What elements are available in track Z?
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What was it like when buying model railways in track Z note
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Building kits: Normal or laser cut
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The dirt has to be gone!
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FAQs: The most common questions about track Z
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Conclusion: How to assemble your model railway in track Z.
What was the Z track?
In 1972, Märklin developed as a counterweight to the growing N-gauge market, the even smaller track size, FOR EXAMPLE, the scale of track Z is 1:220, the normal track thus measures 6.5 mm in the model. For comparison, track N works with a scale of 1:160 – the normal track measures 9 mm. Until 2007, the Z gauge was the smallest, industrial-scale nominal size (in 2007, a Japanese manufacturer with the development of track T with a scale of 1:480 undercut this record). The small scale radiates a great fascination, since here unbelievable landscapes can arise in the smallest space.
What elements are available in track Z?
Z locomotives
Especially the locomotives of track Z exert an unbelievable allure on collectors and model railway enthusiasts, since these delicate train animals seem hardly suitable to move whole trains. A standard steam locomotive of nominal size Z measures just 55 mm and still performs its service. Steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, electric locomotives and railcars of different eras and different manufacturers leave nothing to be desired.
Z goods wagon
Especially the locomotives of track Z exert an unbelievable allure on collectors and model railway enthusiasts, since these delicate train animals seem hardly suitable to move whole trains. A standard steam locomotive of nominal size Z measures just 55 mm and still performs its service. Steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, electric locomotives and railcars of different eras and different manufacturers leave nothing to be desired.
Z Passenger car
Passenger cars are indispensable for the Z-track operation, after all they allow the use of timetables, waiting passengers and railway stations.

Z trains
In the model railway, trains always refer to a set of matched wagons; often a locomotive is part of the set. This combination is particularly good for high-speed trains, since these locomotives can only be combined with freight cars with difficulty.
Z Märklin miniclub track
With the Märklin miniclub track in track size Z, various tracks, points, buffer blocks and flexible tracks are available for selection. The Z Märklin miniclub track is without bedding.
Z Scale Rokuhan Tracks
From Rokuhan are also tracks, points and crossings and curves in track Z erhältlich, however verfügen these tracks über are a track bed.
Z Building
For the authentic atmosphere, the design of the model railway system with buildings is important, as buildings tell more about the time and their use than the rolling material. Buildings, however, can be easily added later, unlike tracks.
Z Figures
Under Z figures there are true-to-scale people and animals with which the railway stations as well as meadows and pastures can be populated.
Z Signals & Lighting
Z light signals are both lamps and signals for controlling driving. If lamps are used exclusively in night scenes, signals are indispensable at any time of day to control train operation.
What was it like when buying model railways in track Z note
- Fixed or flexible
, a fixed system offers more design options, but a flexible system offers more gaming fun. Flexible equipment should be equipped with tracks with bedding, tracks without bedding are more suitable for fixed installations. However, dust-proof storage of the components should be provided in both cases.
- Analogueue or Digital
Digital control systems offer more options than analogueue, but are more expensive to buy. Both are feasible in track Z and ultimately a matter of personal taste.
- The era
in which time does your plant "play"? Rolling material and decorative objects are characterized by epochs (I to VI) in model railway construction and enable a realistic representation without rolling through history books.
Our practical tip: The track bed in track Z
For nominal size Z, tracks and accessories are available with or without track bed; both versions have their advantages. Tracks without track bed are attached to the plant area and then manually sealed in. This means that these tracks cannot be removed from the model system without a certain effort, but the optics of the self-sealed tracks are undoubtedly more realistic. Tracks with bedding can be used immediately and are therefore especially suitable for "carpet railways", i.e. temporary model railways in the best way; in addition, the footrest safety of the tracks is higher through the plastic bed.
Building kits: Normal or laser cut
For track Z, buildings are available as a standard kit or as a laser cut kit. Normal kits consist of molded plastic parts, which are then glued together. Laser-cut kits are laser-cut parts made of wood or cardboard (normally cardboard in track Z) that are assembled. The effort required to complete a Lasercut kit is significantly greater than completing a standard kit and requires more skill; however, the colors of the printed cardboard boxes are much more natural.
The dirt has to be gone!
Cleanliness is a much larger topic with model railways of track Z than in other scales, since thin layers of dust can become obstacles for the small locomotives. The locomotives are quite light due to their small size, which makes contact to the rails and thus the power consumption quickly no longer guaranteed. Furthermore, spark erosion can occur, which will damage the locomotives in the long term. Special cleaning cars help, or, in order not to let it get that far, constant use.
FAQs: The most common questions about track Z
Können the Z Märklin miniclub tracks can be used together with the Z Rokuhan tracks?
Both tracks can be installed together in a model system, the Rokuhan points can also be operated with a Märklin transformer. Caution should only be exercised with the switch switches – these should come from the manufacturer of the switch. Transition connectors connect the two track systems.
What gradients can ich be converted in my track Z system?
The ability to drive on slopes depends on the traction force of the locomotive, the number of cars and the richness of the curves of the terrain (curves cost force). With very short trains it is possible to climb up to 4 % (4 cm high to 100 cm long), however it is recommended to install no more than 2.5 % incline, in order to be able to drive even longer trains.
With älteren Märklin mini-plane models, the voltage is specified as 9 V, today it is 10 V. Can ich also operate the old models with 10 V?
The answer is an unqualified yes. Märklin had previously stated the driving voltage with 9 V, but 10 V was already in the tolerance range at that time.
Conclusion: How to assemble your model railway in track Z.
Model railway systems in track Z are so small that even in smaller living spaces there are possibilities to accommodate a miniature landscape. For fixed systems, the plant construction always starts with track planning, for systems that are temporarily set up and dismantled, this consideration is not so central. Together with the planning of the tracks, the analogue or digital control of the trains should also be taken into account. And then: Are there no limits to your imagination, after all, you have (almost) all place in the world.